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Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli (35) celebrates after Tennessee makes an interception during the first quarter of the game during a game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, October 27, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel NFS

Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli (35) walks off the field at the end of the game during a game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday Nov. 25, 2017. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli (35) celebrates after making a play during a game between Tennessee and LSU at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli (35) walks off the field during a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday November 11, 2017. Calvin Mattheis, Knoxville News Sentinel

Tennessee's Daniel Bituli (35) does a drill during the final day of Tennessee Volunteers spring practice at Anderson Training Facility in Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday, April 20, 2017. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel

Carlin Fils-Aime (27) and Daniel Bituli (35) participate in a drill during the third practice of University of Tennessee football preseason, at University of Tennessee on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

This is part of a series counting down the 10 most important Vols for the 2018 season.

No. 4

LB Daniel Bituli

2017 stats: 90 tackles, 3 tackles for loss

Why he matters

Daniel Bituli needs to be the anchor in the middle of Tennessee's defense.

Despite making 23 tackles in last season's opener, Bituli curiously split time at middle linebacker with Colton Jumper. Bituli played strongside linebacker in that opening game against Georgia Tech, but Tennessee mostly played nickel defense after that, favoring a nickelback over a strongside linebacker.

Bituli had the skills to play middle linebacker, but then-UT coach Butch Jones said Bituli was still learning "the art of communication and getting us lined up right" — a job the middle linebacker often handles. Thus, Bituli wasn't used as much as his skills warranted. But he still led the team in tackles.

Bituli was slowed during the spring while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and didn't play in the spring game.

Best-case scenario is that Bituli is prepared to call the defense and rarely leaves the field regardless of whether the Vols are in a 3-4 or nickel. But if calling the defense remains a hurdle for Bituli, then someone else should be tasked with the job because Bituli needs to be on the field.